Once thought extinct, tule elk have returned in force in Marin and now have become the source of concern as well as controversy as herds in West Marin are managed against the backdrop of drought, working farms and tourism.

Tule elk can be found in only one national park: Point Reyes National Seashore.

The elk were plentiful in Marin until hunted to extirpation in the 1850s. They largely disappeared from the rest of California too, and were whittled down to a single, small herd in Bakersfield by the mid-1870s. From that group, the state began a repopulation program and today there are 4,000 tule elk in California — the only place where the species can be found.

The elk were re-established in Marin in 1978 on Tomales Point over a 2,600-acre preserve and placed behind fencing. Over time, the population flourished to a point where the National Park Service decided to start a second free-ranging herd in 1998.

“It”s a great story of recovery from almost being completely gone,” said Melanie Gunn, Point Reyes outreach coordinator.

But the comeback has not been without its share of issues.

Earlier this year park service officials revealed that more than 250 tule elk died inside the fenced area over a two-year period, in part because pools that the herds rely on for water had gone dry. Meanwhile, ranchers are complaining about the free-range elk getting on their land and eating grass and drinking water intended for their dairy cattle and other agricultural operations.

WildCare petition

When San Rafael animal welfare group WildCare caught wind of the deaths among the fenced-in herd there was outrage; the group circulated an online petition signed by 2,600 people. The elk numbers had showed a decline from 540 in 2012 to 357 in 2013 to 286 last year.

“WildCare is appalled at the lack of concern shown to these animals, trapped as they were behind 10-foot-tall fences that kept them from migrating to areas that had water,” read an introduction to the petition.

Last week WildCare Executive Director Karen Wilson met with Point Reyes Superintendent Cicely Muldoon and other park officials and came away satisfied that land managers would do all they could to make sure water is made available if needed.

“It”s a complex issue, but the ponds were dry, and without water you can”t live,” Wilson said shortly after the meeting on Thursday. “Whether it was the only cause or not, we don”t know. Something else could have happened.”

The herds could have also been affected indirectly by the drought, as large swaths of grasses dried out, making them inedible. Another theory was that at 540 elk, the population was simply too big for its size and Mother Nature worked to thin it to provide the right balance for the available resources.

The population has fluctuated historically, according to park figures. The number of calves has also dropped: In 2012 there were 101 calves, while in 2014 there were 23, the lowest count on recent record.

But Wilson and others say the park has a moral obligation to watch the herds because they are fenced in, and they say park managers should have kept better tabs on conditions.

The elk “have no way of getting to other water sources,” Wilson said.

Herds were watched

David Press, park wildlife ecologist, said that beyond an elk census after the fact, there was no sense a die-off was underway while it was occurring and an abnormal number of carcasses wasn”t found.

“There were no outward signs that something significant was happening that we needed to jump on,” said Press, a Marin resident who recalls when he was a child visiting the nascent herd as it was being re-established. “We were watching the elk more closely than people realize. The impression was given that we just come out once a year and counted them and then turned our backs. But the wildlife staff is out here pretty regularly, we have a docent program, we have a resident out here every day.”

Eight ponds that are remnants from ranching operations on Tomales Point serve as the main sources of water for the elk and rangers did notice they had gone dry after the early 2013 elk count. There was talk then of putting a plan in place to get water to the herd, “But there was a bit of conflict. Our (elk) management plan says, ”hands off,” but on the other hand there was that dramatic decline,” Press said.

Before any action could take place there was another dry year and the population dropped more.

“The decline was drought related, but the mechanism is not known,” Press said. “We are keeping our ears to the ground more now. It”s a good research opportunity.”

Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, agreed.

“Natural herds expand and contract and the park has noted the herd was bigger than carry capacity would allow, but we do need to find out how a lack of water contributed to the lower numbers in the last few years,” the congressman said.

Water ponds full

The ponds — which fill by rainfall — again have water, as downpours in December recharged the human-made basins, as well as the seeps, springs and streams where the elk get water.

“They will paw at a spring and create water pockets to drink from,” Press said.

Vegetation growth is also strong, providing food sources on the point”s rolling hills, providing prime viewing experiences for tourists who flock to the area to see the elk, often stopping their cars along Pierce Point Road to take photos.

The park service is looking at trucking in water if need be — possibly from the nearby Kehoe Creek drainage — if the ponds go dry again.

Springs, wells and simple troughs have been discussed to help provide a more reliable water source. Land managers are now confident they can do so without running afoul of the elk management plan, officials said.

WildCare”s Wilson was pleased with the park service”s effort.

“The park intends to provide supplemental water if needed,” she said. “They are working on a plan. We are happy with that.”

Ranching concerns

Meanwhile, there are concerns about the herd that is outside the fence. Point Reyes ranchers worry about the damage marauding herds are doing to their lands.

The massive elk — which can easily weigh 500 pounds — are knocking down fences, eating grass and drinking water supplies intended for dairy cattle, ranchers have complained.

“The ranchers see this as a black and white issue: The elk should not be on the pastoral land,” said Stacy Carlsen, Marin County”s agricultural commissioner.

After the elk were reintroduced in 1978, the Tomales Point herd did so well the park service decided to establish a free-ranging group. That herd began with about 20 animals that were transplanted in 1998 from Tomales Point to the Limantour wilderness area. Slowly, some of the herd began to migrate — which surprised park service officials — and made their way to ranches.

Today about 100 remain near Limantour, with 120 having migrated to areas near the “D” and Home ranch areas.

Free-range solution

“It”s a virtual salad bar for elk with all the silage they can eat,” Huffman said. “Some fencing may be part of the solution, possibly relocation or contraception.”

The park service is now looking to develop a ranch management plan that will likely give direction on the handling of the free-range elk. A draft is due out this winter.

In the interim, park managers are looking at what options might work. In March three young elk — two males and a female — were relocated from ranch lands to Limantour. The hope was that the elk would not be imprinted enough by the ranch area to return. But within 10 days the two males made their way back, while the female stayed in Limantour.

Point Reyes biologists are also testing the free-ranging herd for Johne”s disease — a fatal gastrointestinal condition — which can pass to cattle. So far the herd has tested clean, although sometimes false negatives can be recorded. If it can be shown the herd does not have the disease there is a possibility it could be relocated to a preserve run by the state, officials said.